A dye record disc has a disc shape substrate having a track-forming surface divided into a read-only area and a recordable area. A reproducing track is formed on the track-forming surface in the read-only area, and has a plurality of pits, each of the pits comprising a dye material, and having a shape corresponding to the reproducing information. A recording/reproducing track is formed on the track-forming surface in the recordable area, and extends continuously, the recording/reproducing track comprising the same dye material as each of the pits. The information reproducing apparatus includes an initial light emitting device for emitting an initial light beam to all of the pits before reproduction, in order to change reflectance of all of the pits; a reproducing light emitting device for emitting a reproducing light to each of the pits; a receiving device for receiving reflected light of the reproducing light reflected by the reproducing track, and generating a receiving signal corresponding to the received reflective light; and a reproducing device for reproducing the reproducing information on the basis of the receiving signal.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An information reproducing apparatus for reproducing information recorded on a dye record disc, the dye record disc comprising: a disc shape substrate having a track-forming-surface divided into a read-only area and a recordable area; a reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the read-only area, and constructed by an arrangement of a plurality of pits, each of the pits comprising a dye material, and having a shape corresponding to the reproducing information; and a recording/reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the recordable area, and extending continuously, the recording/reproducing track comprising the same dye material as each of the pits, the information reproducing apparatus comprising: an initial light emitting device for emitting an initial light beam to all of the pits before reproduction, in order to change reflectance of all of the pits; a reproducing light emitting device for emitting a reproducing light to each of the pits; a receiving device for receiving a reflective light of the reproducing light reflected by the reproducing track, and generating a receiving signal corresponding to the received reflective light; and a reproducing device for reproducing the reproducing information on the basis of the receiving signal.
2. An information recording/reproducing apparatus for recording information onto a dye record disc and reproducing information recorded on the dye record disc, the dye record disc comprising: a disc shape substrate having a track-forming-surface divided into a read-only area a recordable area; a reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the read-only area, and constructed by an arrangement of a plurality of pits, each of the pits comprising a dye material, and having a shape corresponding to the reproducing information. recording/reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the recordable area, and extending continuously, the recording/reproducing track comprising the same dye material as each of the pits, the information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising: an initial light emitting device for emitting an initial light beam to all of the pits before reproduction, in order to change reflectance of all of the pits; a reproducing light emitting device for emitting a reproducing light to each of the pits; a receiving device for receiving a reflective light of the reproducing light reflected by the reproducing track, and generating a receiving signal corresponding to the received reflective light; a reproducing device for reproducing the reproducing information on the basis of the receiving signal; and a recording light emitting device for emitting a recording light modulated on the basis of the recording information onto the recording/reproducing track, in order to record the record information onto the recording/reproducing track by changing reflectance of the recording/reproducing track.
3. An information recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the initial light emitting device emits the initial light beam having an intensity of the reproducing light.
4. An information reproducing method of reproducing information recorded on a dye record disc, the dye record disc comprising: a disc shape substrate having a track-forming-surface divided into a read-only area a recordable area; a reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the read-only area, and constructed by an arrangement of a plurality of pits, each of the pits comprising a dye material, and having a shape corresponding to the reproducing information; and a recording/reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the recordable area, and extending continuously, the recording/reproducing track comprising the same dye material as each of the pits, the information reproducing method comprising the process of: emitting an initial light beam to all of the pits before reproduction, in order to change reflectance of all of the pits; emitting a reproducing light to each of the pits; receiving a reflective light of the reproducing light reflected by the reproducing track, and generating a receiving signal corresponding to the received reflective light; and reproducing the reproducing information on the basis of the receiving signal.
5. An information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the initial light emitting device emits the initial light beam having an intensity of the reproducing light.
6. An information reproducing apparatus for reproducing information recorded on a read-only disc having a read-only area or reproducing information recorded on a dye record disc, the dye record disc comprising: a disc shape substrate having a track-forming-surface divided into the read-only area and a recordable area; a reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the read-only area, and constructed by an arrangement of a plurality of pits, each of the pits comprising a dye material, and having a shape corresponding to the reproducing information; and a recording/reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the recordable area, and extending continuously, the recording/reproducing track comprising the same dye material as each of the pits, the information reproducing apparatus comprising: a determining device for determining whether a disc mounted on the information reproducing apparatus is the dye record disc; an initial light emitting device for emitting an initial light beam to the read-only area if the mounted disc is the dye record disc, in order to change reflectance of all of the pits.
7. An information reproducing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the determining device determines whether the mounted disc is the dye record disc on the basis of the TOC information of the mounted disc.
8. An information reproducing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the initial light emitting device emits the initial light beam having an intensity of the reproducing light.
9. An information recording/reproducing apparatus for recording information onto a dye record disc, and for reproducing information recorded on the dye record disc or on a read-only disc having a read-only area, the dye record disc comprising: a disc shape substrate having a track-forming-surface divided into a read-only area and a recordable area; a reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the read-only area, and constructed by an arrangement of a plurality of pits, each of the pits comprising a dye material, and having a shape corresponding to the reproducing information; and a recording/reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the recordable area, and extending continuously, the recording/reproducing track comprising the same dye material as each of the pits, the information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising: a determining device for determining whether a disc mounted on the information reproducing apparatus is the dye record disc; an initial light emitting device for emitting an initial light beam to the read-only area if the mounted disc is the dye record disc, in order to change reflectance of all of the pits.
10. An information recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the determining device determines whether the mounted disc is the dye record disc on the basis of the TOC information of the mounted disc.
11. An information recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the initial light emitting device emits the initial light beam having an intensity, the intensity being lower than that of the reproducing light and higher than that of the reproducing light.
12. An information recording/reproducing method of reproducing information on a read-only disc having a read-only area or reproducing information recorded on a dye record disc, the dye record disc comprising: a disc shape substrate having a track-forming-surface divided into the read-only area a recordable area; a reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the read-only area, and constructed by an arrangement of a plurality of pits; each of the pits comprising a dye material, and having a shape corresponding to the reproducing information; and a recording/reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the recordable area, and extending continuously, the recording/reproducing track comprising the same dye material as each of the pits, the information recording/reproducing method comprising the processes of: determining whether a disc mounted on the information reproducing apparatus is the dye record disc; emitting an initial light beam to the read-only area if the mounted disc is the dye record disc, in order to change reflectance of all of the pits.
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August 10, 2000
October 23, 2001
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